Rough the Skunk
Rough the Skunk and his brother Tumble the Skunk make up two halves of the mercenary duo who have come into conflict with Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna. History Taking Over a Town Rough and his brother, Tumble the Skunk, served as mercenaries during the war between the Eggman Empire and the Resistance. Towards the end of the war, they saved a town by ferociously driving back the invading Badniks. Afterwards, they set up shop in the town and promised to help them shore up their defenses. However, the brothers ultimately ended up taking over the town and its Wispon distribution center, setting themselves up as tyrannical rulers. Trapping the townsfolk between themselves and the marauding Badniks outside the walls, Rough and Tumble controlled the town throughout the war and into the ensuing reconstruction period. (StH #3) Rough and Tumble were lounging about at the Wispon distribution center, being waited on hand and foot by the locals, when Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna arrived to confront them. Shocked and angered at the interruption of their fun, Rough remarked about how the heroes did not know who they were and began a choreographed introduction before engaging in combat. While Sonic engaged Tumble, Rough literally got the jump on Knuckles, vaulting over his head before Knuckles connected with a right hook to his face. He recovered and sprung off a nearby beam, unleashing a cloud of noxious fumes with his signature Stink Bomber technique, leaving Knuckles semi-disabled. However, Knuckles fought through the pain and smashed Rough so hard that he sent him crashing down through the floor boards, leaving only his head protruding upwards from the floor. Tumble then picked up his dazed brother, and Rough recovered before they both grabbed Wispons in an attempt to turn the tide of the fight. Unfortunately for them, thanks to Sonic's inspiring speech to the Wisps within the Wispons, the Wisps escaped from their respective Wispons and instead turned on the mercenary duo, leaving Rough and Tumble's Wispons useless and helping the heroes surround them. Mocking their choreographed introduction, Sonic and Knuckles did their own number before knocking out both Rough and his brother. Rough was apprehended by the local militia along with his brother, and Tumble promised that they would escape and come after Sonic and Knuckles. Rough cursed them, saying that they have made life-long enemies of Rough & Tumble before being taken away. (StH #3) Appearance Rough has teal colored fur with a cream white stripes running down his back and front. He has cheek tuffs on the sides of his white fur-covered muzzle, and the white hair on his head is raised, making it resemble a mohawk. For clothing, Rough wears a pair of yellow gloves and boots that both have red lining and cream white volar surfaces. Rough's eyes are red with yellow scleras. Personality Rough lives up to his name, being a rather course and aggressive individual. Ruthless, he is more than willing to take advantage of those weaker than himself, as shown in the oppression of the townsfolk at the Wispon distribution hub. He showed little concern for the happiness or well-being of the townsfolk and was significantly offended by Sonic and Knuckles ruining their "fun". While Rough is a brawler who loves to fight, he is also shown to have a somewhat theatrical side as illustrated in the choreographed introduction he had prepared with his brother. This also implies a measure of pride, confidence, or perhaps arrogance in their abilities, as the brothers seek to make a name for themselves. Yet, while powerful and clever enough to seize an entire town, neither Rough or his brother seem to be overly intelligent. Their cruel and ruthless behavior shows a lack of empathy for others, and while they were able to take control of a key location such as a stockpile of Wispons, they showed no foresight or ambition in doing anything beyond forcing the townsfolk into serving and entertaining them. Abilities Although smaller and less physically intimidating than his brother, Rough makes up for his lack of brute strength with surprising speed and agility. Rough is an experienced mercenary and is able to efficiently coordinate with his brother, Tumble, to form a formidable tag team in battle. He is also extremely agile, able to leap with great speed and spring off of structures. As a skunk, Rough is also able to produce a noxious musk that affects the eyes, respiratory system, and, of course, has a pungent odor. Rough simultaneously spin attacks while releasing his musk to perform his Stink Bomber technique. Equipment *Vapor Condenser Relationships Tumble the Skunk Tumble is Rough's brother and mercenary partner. They have a close relationship and are highly coordinated fighters. Friends/allies *Tumble the Skunk (Brother and partner.) Enemies *Eggman Empire **Badniks *Sonic the Hedgehog *Knuckles the Echidna Background Information *Rough was created by Ian Flynn and designed by Tyson Hesse.https://kotaku.com/meet-rough-and-tumble-two-brand-new-sonic-comic-villai-1823070013 *Rough was officially revealed in a Kotaku exclusive interview with editor, David Mariotte on February 16, 2018. **Mariotte identified them more as bullies than masterminds, and are capable of becoming someone's henchmen down the line. *At the Sonic Town Hall at Wondercon 18, Joe Hughes compared Rough and Tumble to another iconic IDW duo, Beebop and Rocksteady, saying they are approximately 12% smarter. https://wordpress.com/post/sonicsourceblog.wordpress.com/577 *Early designs of Rough had more clothing and less defined eyes, likely referring to his colored sclera, compared to the final version. References Category:Villains Category:Anthropromorphic Animals Category:Males